CHAPTER ZERO,

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MINE

the time was spring

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the time was spring.

spring meant flowers blooming, colorful ripe fruits growing on trees, and perfect temperatures. it was the ideal time to spend outside with your friends, lie in the green grass, maybe even have a picnic. your favorite season by far.

and yet, you were stuck inside an empty gymnasium by yourself. 

your weekly volleyball practice had ended and everyone was quick to scurry away, leaving you alone. yes, alone. hyosan middle school's volleyball club was composed of sixteen students, both boys and girls, and you had not made a single friend in it.

there was still hope, though, as it was only the beginning of the year ─ at least, that's what your brother said. 

a young woman, coach kim, approached you at the end of practice to inform you she had to leave early. "could you please put all the volleyballs away in the storage room? and when you're done, bring the keys to mr. hong in the teacher's room, okay?"

you were sure the only reason she had asked you was because you were tying your shoes, meanwhile, everyone was already leaving. you were an easy target. oh, maybe that was why they were in such a hurry...

being the shy thirteen-year-old student you were, you nodded dumbly. it took you a couple of minutes to catch your breath from the taxing practice and a couple extra to open the door of the storage room, which was apparently defective.

sweat was dripping down your face by the time you had lost all your patience. you took two steps back before kicking the door as hard as your tired legs allowed you. 

the door unlocked with a disquieting sound and the little balance you had left in your other leg caused you to stumble inside the room.

it was your first time entering it ─ the small peeks you usually took didn't help you greatly in determining the size it, nor did the complete darkness surrounding you. looking around, you squinted in search of a light switch.

hand fumbling along the cold wall, you flicked it on and waited.... then, waited some more... great. the lights were defective too.

grabbing as many balls as your arms could contain knowing you had no idea where you were walking was probably not the smartest thing you'd done. surely not to your surprise, you were able to fill the container with only half of the equipment you initially picked up, the rest having been lost along the way.

yeah, definitely not the smartest thing to do.

as we all know, the ground is supposed to be remotely flat and steady, well not for you ─ it was spheric, wobbly, white, and overall strangely felt like a volleyball.

𐙚 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐓,  LEE CHEONGSANWhere stories live. Discover now